The invention relates to a manually operated self-defense device comprising in combination a defending spray portion and a light portion. Both means may be used in combination in self-defense actions where the flashlight of the light portion should help the intended victim to allocate the attacker""s face and/or to partially blind and deter him and subsequently or at the same time the defending spray can be applied against the attacker""s eyes if the attacker continues in his action against the victim.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,134 discloses a handle with a spray device attached to a baton, where the baton is in the form of a lamp. A defending spray is located in a transversal part of the handle. Due to its relatively big size and mass this device is designed for a law-enforcement personnel rather than for individuals carrying such device for an occasional and rare use in a handbag or pocket.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,377 discloses a baton i.e. a defending device consisting of a middle portion comprising a defending spray and an end portions with a light and sound alarm devices. This device is also big in size and therefore not suitable to be carried in a handbag or pocket.
From the U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,377 a pistol-shape device is known that includes in a housing a storage battery, two lamps emitting blue and white light respectively, a sound source and a chemical repellent container. The device includes at least three separate compartments, internal wiring and piping to provide the respective connections between the operating switches, battery, lamps and a gas nozzle. The device is operated by two switches and a trigger what may be rather confusing in the situation when it should be used against an unexpected attackers and therefore very quickly and with an immediate and surprising effect. Moreover, due to its considerable size such device is not suitable to be carried in a handbag specifically in a ladies shoulder bag or a clutch bag or a pocket.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,629 discloses a lamp-shape device with a defending gas compartment on one end and a battery and light portion on the other end. The elongated form extends substantially over the palm of the user and in operation the handle must be turned at an angle of 90xc2x0 or 180xc2x0 if the gas spray is to be applied after the previous using the lamp. The gas actuator and the electrical switch are situated on the opposite sides of the lamp what may cause certain problems if the device is to be used quickly and with immediate effect against attackers.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a combined self-defense device that due its simple design and combination of elements used may be of small size and light weight what should enable the user to carry it permanently in the handbag or a pocket like a cellular phone or a digital diary.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-defense device that is easy to handle in operation and where the both functions, i.e. the flashlight and the gas spray function may be initiated by one hand and/or one finger.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a self-defense device that may be held in a closed palm secretly and discreetly in an operable position so that a potential attacker may be taken in surprise and immobilized by the intended victim.
Moreover, due to its simple design the self-defense device according to the invention may be easily adapted to the shape of a conventional gas container and to other commercially available parts thus making it susceptible of low costs of manufacture and low sale price.
According to the invention a combined self-defense device has a spray portion and a light portion the spray portion comprising a spray container with an actuating valve and a spray outlet means. On the front wall of the container there is a flange fixed to carry a nozzle body mounted for longitudinal motion on the upper end of the flange and comprising a conduit adapted to receive the spray outlet means a nozzle directed outside the nozzle body and connected to the conduit and a spray actuating surface on the top thereof
The light portion consists of a light housing to receive a battery and a light source for emitting a light beam substantially in the direction of the nozzle and a switch on the outside of the housing for connection of the battery to the light source.
Preferably as a light source a light emitting diode is used what permits due to its extremely small size to attach the light portion to any part of the spray portion including the sidewall the bottom of the container or the flange without substantially extending over the conventional shape of the container.
If attached to the actuating surface of the nozzle body the device may be operated by one finger so that both the light and the gas valve may be actuated practically simultaneously or in a step-by-step procedure. In the latter case the light is first actuated by smoothly pressing the switch and then by subsequent additional depressing the switch the spray gas valve is actuated to release the spray from the nozzle.
In the embodiment where the light portion is attached laterally to the flange or incorporated in the flange the switch may be actuated with one finger, for example by the forefinger and the spray gas valve by the thumb, both independently. Moreover where the light portion does not constitute an integral part of the flange the light portion may be removed and used independently as a small pocket lamp.
According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention the lower end of the flange extends at least partially over the sidewall of the spray container. This enables to provide a suitable shape of the whole device for example a uniform cylindrical or prismatic form or to bring the form of the container portion in conformity with the commercial miniature light source.
Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent from the following drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiments.